Gender equality or gender justice? What is the viewpoint of Islam?

Those who pretend that 'gender justice' means the participation of women in the all areas that men participate in, are betraying women's trust, respectability, and identity. Women are highly respectable; no one has implied that women should not participate in various social arenas, or that they should not undertake responsibilities, or that they should not become scientists: no one is against this.

In the name of defending the rights of women, some people make statements which are not a source of respect for women: on the contrary, such statements undermine women. I am speaking about those who make certain statements inside the country. Otherwise, in western European culture, these statements are most probably and almost certainly planned by Zionists who aim to create chaos in the human community and annihilate it completely.

They [Zionists] want to turn women into objects meant to gratify men’s desires: this is their plot, and we have nothing to do with that. This issue is completely different, but in our Islamic environment—whether in our country or in some other Islamic environments—some people speak of certain things, certain duties, and certain expectations which are a source of humiliation and contempt for women; they do so in order to “support” women!

For example, they say, “Why do you not allow women to work outside of the home?” First of all, who does not allow them to work outside the home environment? What is wrong with it [working outside]? Second, is working outside the house—for example, typing for some office all day—a proper position and status for women that we fight so hard for it? Is this the meaning of justice? Justice means understanding the qualities that Allah the Exalted has inserted in the nature of all creatures.

Thus, we should appreciate the value of those qualities and cultivate them: this is Justice. Allah the Exalted has made men and women similar to one another in some aspects. In terms of achieving spiritual positions, they are not different: an example of this is Fatima Zahra (God’s greetings be upon her). In terms of the power to lead, they are not different either: an example of this is Fatima Zahra (God’s greetings be upon her). In terms of having the capability to guide humanity, they are not different either: an example of this is Fatima Zahra (God’s greetings be upon her). But they are different in terms of responsibilities and duties when it comes to managing life; again, an example of this is Fatima Zahra (God’s greetings be upon her). Those who want to defend women’s rights are—as they say—blowing into the trumpet from the wrong end! They do not understand what they are preaching and what they are defending.

Allah the Exalted has made men and women similar to one another in some aspects. In terms of achieving spiritual positions, they are not different: an example of this is Fatima Zahra (God’s greetings be upon her). In terms of the power to lead, they are not different either: an example of this is Fatima Zahra (God’s greetings be upon her). In terms of having the capability to guide humanity, they are not different either: an example of this is Fatima Zahra (God’s greetings be upon her). But they are different in terms of the responsibilities and duties when it comes to managing life; again, an example of this is Fatima Zahra (God’s greetings be upon her). Those who want to defend women’s rights are—as they say—blowing into the trumpet from the wrong end! They do not understand what they are preaching and what they are defending.

They say, “Why should women not be allowed to manage high-end positions?” Is management, in the corporate world, a great source of pride for humans that they look for reasons as to why managements roles are only for men? They refer to this as gender justice. —Is this justice? Those who have introduced gender equality around the world and pursued it are subject to many calamities and depravities in this area, in the present time, in a way that they have become regretful.

Of course, many of them do not explicitly acknowledge any regret, and many of them grew up in a particular cultural setting; therefore, they do not understand what is happening; however, intellectuals understand this. Intellectuals acknowledge these calamities, understand this truth, and express their concern. I hope that those who speak on gender justice do not adopt something similar to “gender equality” which has been brought up by Westerners. I hope that by Allah’s favor, all of us will benefit from the blessings of this day and from the name of Fatima Zahra (God’s greetings be upon her).

Those who humiliate the foundation of family are betraying both the nation and women—the society of women. Those who pretend that 'gender justice' means the participation of women in the all areas that men participate in, are betraying women's trust, respectability, and identity. Women are highly respectable; no one has implied that women should not participate in various social arenas, or that they should not undertake responsibilities, or that they should not become scientists: no one is against this. Today, there are countless women, within our society, who are among the best scientists, the best writers, and the best cultural personalities.

And you should know that this is a Revolutionary feat: such rights for women did not exist before the Revolution. There were very few women who had managed to achieve great scientific, cultural, belletristic, and other such accomplishments. Today, such women are abundant [in numbers]: this was the Revolution's masterpiece. This is because the paradigm for Muslim women upholds such features. At the same time, women are the heads of their household: they are the center of the family. The most important job that a woman can have is motherhood, wifehood, and the being at the center of tranquility and calm in the family: "And made his mate of like nature, in order that he might dwell with her in love" [The Holy Quran, 7: 189]. Thus, women are a great source of tranquility and calm: this is the greatest characteristic of women in Islam, and one should pay attention to these points on Women's Day.

With certainty, we advise the honorable Iranian, Muslim, and pious women to preserve these Islamic and Quranic concepts and to strengthen them on a daily basis. They should avoid maladies, like the extravagant, negative comparisons with others—for example, negative competitiveness and imitation of deviant western role-models. They should take great care of themselves. Today, Muslim women are dignified in our country. Iranian women have the privilege of having an independent cultural identity, so much so that they are not influenced by others: you [the women] should preserve these qualities for yourselves.

The topic of gender justice and other such topics have been raised pretentiously by westerners. Some people are merely mimicking them: they have turned these ideas up on their megaphones. Where is the justice? In the present time, the greatest numbers of violent rapes are being committed throughout the Western World-–in the US and in Europe. Is this justice? Their statistical calculations [for violent sex crimes] are much larger than in other countries. That is the while, some women, apparently—according to their own statements—enjoy freedom there [in the West]! According to statistics, most instances of domestic violence—violence at home—by men against women are committed in Western countries.

Moreover, these statistics reveal that many women will not dare file a complaint against their abuser. These statistics are related to only those who file a complaint; so, these statistics do not represent all victims. It is those countries [Western countries] which have problems—problems related to life, to culture, and to the management of that society. So, where is the justice? There is no justice! They speak about gender justice simply to pursue their own goals [elsewhere]. Within Islam, gender justice means that women must be respected, they must be shielded from harassment, that men are not entitled to bully or use violence against women just because of their physical strength or because of having a larger body than women.—Justice represents this.

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